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According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu activity can last as late as May! While the flu shot may protect you against the flu, it’s not always 100% effective. Barring the flu, there are also other types of colds and stomach bugs that could present flu-like symptoms, such as norovirus.

Common Flu Symptoms

If you or someone you know has the flu, they may experience some or all of the following symptoms:

Fast Flu Facts

The flu is a respiratory illness.

Also known as influenza, the flu is a type of contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Unlike the flu, norovirus is transmitted via the fecal-oral route.

Example: Someone with norovirus gets their fecal matter or vomit on their hands and then you either touch their hands, or you touch something that they touched when they had the germs on their hands, and you get those germs from your hands into your mouth.

It’s spread through droplets that land on people or surfaces.

The flu is most commonly spread through droplets when people with the flu sneeze, cough, or talk. The droplets from the infected person travels through the air and can land in the mouths or noses of others who are nearby. You can also catch the flu by touching a surface that has the flu virus on it and then touching your face.

You can infect others even if you’re not symptomatic yet.

According to the CDC, you can actually pass the flu onto others even if you’re not showing any signs or symptoms. Most healthy adults can infect others anywhere from 1 day before symptoms start, up to 7 days after becoming sick.

The flu can range from mild to serious.

While most people bounce back from the flu after a little while, it can be extremely serious for young children and those with weakened immune systems. In some cases, it may even result in death.

The best way to protect yourself is by getting vaccinated.

In recent years, getting a flu vaccine is not only suggested – in some cases, it is mandatory at workplaces. Check with your doctor to find out more about when you should get vaccinated and the type(s) of flu vaccines that are available.

About Jessica Dixon

Jessica Dixon is an Infection Prevention Specialist for WakeMed Health & Hospitals. A former Criticial Care nurse, Jessica manages all Infection Prevention data, including internal reporting and public reporting of hospital-associated infection data. She is in charge of several special projects, including WakeMed’s Hand Hygiene Program and Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) Reduction Program.